Police chief drops application for Baton Rouge job

After submitting an application, Thibodaux Police Department Chief Scott Silverii said he is withdrawing from consideration for the Baton Rouge police chief job.

Xerxes WilsonStaff Writer

After submitting an application, Thibodaux Police Department Chief Scott Silverii said he is withdrawing from consideration for the Baton Rouge police chief job.Officials with the state's Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board said Silverii joined 16 other applicants approved to take the civil service exam required for further consideration.Applicants must score at least 75 percent on the exam to be considered by Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, said Interim State Examiner Robert Lawrence.Silverii said the challenge of policing the state's capital city was something he was initially drawn to after being invited to apply, calling it “a challenge a true leader looks for.”But after thinking it through, Silverii said he decided not to pursue the position.“I thought about it and prayed about it, but I have made a commitment to the city,” he said. “This is where I want to stay.”Holden fired Baton Rouge's former Police Chief Dewayne White earlier this year.After more than two decades of service with the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office, Silverii became Thibodaux police chief in January 2011, replacing Craig Melancon.Silverii earned a master's of public administration and a doctorate in urban studies from the University of New OrleansSince becoming chief, Silverii has emphasized “data-driven policing” and has expanded the department's use of social media.Silverii also wrote a book titled “A Darker Shade of Blue,” which touts itself as a “multi-year, cross-country examination into the fraternity of law enforcement.” Silverii is also active on Twitter and regularly updates his blog at ScottSilverii.com with examinations of policing culture, fitness and other tidbits. Readers can also find a link to purchase his book on the website.